This invention relates workstations for daily use which provide adjustable support for one work platform for video monitors on which images are presented, and also provide another adjustable work platform that supports keyboard, mouse, trackball, or human-computer interface control features. The invention is more particularly concerned with ergonomic radiology workstations of this type which include a feature that both permits independent adjustment of the elevation or height of the two work platforms, but also prevents the two from colliding with one another as a result of raising or lowering of either of them.
One important application for work stations or desks of this type is in filmless radiology, in which digital X-ray or other radiological images are displayed on one or more video screens or monitors, usually positioned at an upper or rear work table or platform, and where the radiology professional uses the lower or front work table or platform to interact with keyboard or similar devices.
As a general matter, there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution for radiology workstations or for workstations employed in other environments. Users need to be able to adjust the position of the monitors and of the keyboard (and other interface devices) for the work session, to achieve optimal posture and to avoid fatigue. To achieve optical ergonomics, the conditions of the workspace, ambient lighting, and ergonomic set-up of the keyboard, monitors and seating, must all be taken into account for each user. The height of the monitors relative to the user can be adjusted to reduce the requirement for head and body movement in reading the radiological images, and the height of the table or platform of the monitor should be adjusted relative to the user's seating to optimize comfort and reduce arm and upper body fatigue. For these reasons, a number of workstations have been proposed with a rear or upper platform on which the video monitor or monitors are positioned, and a front or lower platform on which the keyboard and mouse or trackball are positioned. Electric gearmotors or similar devices are installed for adjusting the height of the front and rear platforms for the user's comfort and to reduce fatigue factors. The workstation has a base that rests on the floor, and a pedestal or pedestals, i.e., vertical columns or legs, which include a height adjustment feature, on which the front and rear work platforms, i.e., lower and upper tables, are supported. In some work stations, there can be separate independent vertical supports for the two work platform. In other work stations, the there can be a main vertical support pedestal for one table or platform, and an arm or arms that support the other work platform from the main pedestal, and allow for controlled motorized height adjustment of the first work table or platform.
These workstations are frequently used by a number of different users, e.g., radiology professionals during the day, with each having his or her own height requirement for both the monitor platform and the keyboard platform. The workstations may have up/down controls for both the rear and front platforms, so that these height adjustments can be made easily for each radiologist or other user at the commencement of the work session. In some work stations, the settings can be stored or programmed, and then the necessary adjustments made automatically for each individual.
Because each work station is used by a number of different people, it would be advantageous to disinfect or sanitize the parts of the work station that are touched by the hands, namely, the human-machine interface devices such as the keyboard and mouse. A separate, stand-alone keyboard and mouse sterilizing device has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,278,122, where a UV sterilization feature is provided to radiate a keyboard and mouse. A keyboard sterilization feature for an adjustable radiology workstation is described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,087,737, which is incorporated by reference herein.
Prior two-level or dual table ergonomic desks or workstations have not been able to incorporate a simple (e.g., pushbutton) means for manually controlling the raising and lowering of the two tables or platforms, and have not taken any measure to prevent the lower and upper platforms from colliding or crashing into one another when being raised or lowered, nor have they taken steps to ensure that the pedestals or legs for a given table or platform extend or retract at the same rate so that the table or platform stays level and the pedestal(s) do not jam.